John Hoopingarner Named Director of UT Austin’s PETEX

John Hoopingarner has been named the director for the Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX), a component of Continuing and Innovative Education (CIE) at The University of Texas at Austin.

In this position, Hoopingarner oversees all operations and activities of PETEX, which trains oil and gas industry workers. Hoopingarner will also serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Council for CIE under Dean Judy Ashcroft. Hoopingarner began his appointment on December 13, 2010.

“I am thrilled to welcome John Hoopingarner to Continuing and Innovative Education,” said CIE’s Senior Associate Dean Linda Glessner. “His vast experience with developing new business opportunities at the international level makes him an exciting addition to our leadership and to PETEX.”

“I’m very excited by the opportunity to lead PETEX,” said Hoopingarner. “Having worked in a variety of roles in the oil and gas industry, I am fully aware of PETEX’s sterling reputation as a leader in oil and gas industry training. I hope to add my own experience in new business development and operations management to help PETEX scale even greater heights.”

Before coming to PETEX, Hoopingarner worked for ten years as executive vice president at Emergent Technologies, Inc. (ETI), a company devoted to the development and commercialization of early stage university-based research. Among his many successes at ETI, Hoopingarner was responsible for raising over $12 million in non-dilutive financing by winning state and federal grants for six of the ETI portfolio companies. Additional business development experience was gained from his various domestic and foreign assignments in the oil and gas industry for Dresser Industries and Brown & Root. He also served in several managerial positions around the world for SEDCO Inc. and Sedco Forex-Schlumberger.